Institutional Review Board

Policy and Procedures for the Protection of Human Subjects, Revised 2010

The Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College (SMWC) Institutional Review Board (IRB) is responsible for creating and implementing policies and procedures for the protection of human subjects involved in research. The policies and procedures are based on the Code of Federal Regulations established by the Department of Health and Human Services, Title 45 – Public Welfare, Part 46 – Protection of Human Subjects (June 23, 2005).

The purpose of the IRB is to safeguard and protect from harm those persons who volunteer to be subjects in research conducted at or sponsored by SMWC faculty, staff, or students. The IRB ensures that: risks to subjects are minimized, risks are reasonable in relation to anticipated benefits, subject selection is equitable, informed consent is documented, and data are kept confidential and safe. Any research involving human subjects must be submitted to, reviewed by, and approved by the IRB before data collection begins.

Begining January 1, 2012, all researchers will be required to complete a Basic Course in the Protection of Human Subjects. This course is delivered by the Collaborative Institutional Training Initiative (CITI). More information is available on the Mandatory Research Training tab.